Paul Ryan, Congress moves ahead with new ‘omnibus’ bill, cutting privacy protections
Congress strips out privacy protections from CISA ‘security’ bill https://t.co/2br8Tw0ENr
— The Register (@TheRegister) December 16, 2015
Final version of #CISA was tucked into a 2,000 page bill that Congress has less than 48 hours to read before voting on. PATRIOT Act deja vu?
— Evan Greer (@evan_greer) December 16, 2015
In this new version, the bill creates the ability for the president to set up“portals” for agencies like the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence so that companies can pass along information about potential threats directly to law enforcement and intelligence agencies instead of the Department of Homeland Security.
It allows for more data sharing between the public and private sector while shielding companies from liability.
It also changes the criteria for when information shared for cybersecurity reasons can be used in law enforcement investigations. Previously, the back channel use of data could only occur in cases of “imminent threats,” while the new bill requires just a “specific threat.”
Fight for the Future’s Evan Greer called it “a disingenuous attempt to quietly expand the U.S. government’s surveillance programs.”
The bills were opposed not just by privacy advocates, but also civil society organizations, computer security experts, and many Silicon Valley companies. In April, a coalition of 55 civil groups and security experts signed an open letter opposing an earlier version of CISA.